Tale of the First Winged Horse
by SkyCastle10
Summary: Believe it or not, it is not Pegasus that forms that constellation, although it was named after him. The true origin of the constellation is told here...


Here's another little fairy tale for you! I wrote this one when I was 13, so once again, consider it more of a children's story than anything else.

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The First Winged Horse

Once upon a time, in a beautiful mountain valley, there lived a young stallion named Pluto. He was like any other young horse except that he had a dream. He wanted to be able to fly. Every day he went to a secret grove of trees where he ran and jumped, hoping to soar like a bird, until he was all worn out.

Unknown to him, three fairies watched him every day. Their names were Pea Blossom, Daisy Petal, and Rainbow Cloud. Rainbow Cloud was the leader and trickster, Daisy Petal the quiet, shy follower, and Pea Blossom the cautious, conscientious one. It had been Rainbow Cloud's idea to watch Pluto in the first place, but now all three fairies watched and worried over the young stallion. They worried because he was getting more restless each day, and sooner or later he would do something foolish, like run away, and he had no idea about the rest of the world compared to his sheltered life in the valley.

One day, when Pluto slipped off to his secret place, the fairies were already there, arguing shrilly in their tiny voices. The instant they saw him though, they disappeared, and in their place were three small flowers. One was a lemon-lime color, the second a daisy, and the third was a rainbow colored flower with a white center. These flowers were the fairies in disguise, and they continued arguing in flower language.

Rainbow Cloud waved her petals frantically. "We should tell him that we are here!"

Pea Blossom responded, "But he might be angry!" Rainbow Cloud was about to speak when Daisy Petal hissed, "LOOK!!"

The three fairies watched in horror as two men crept up behind Pluto. They were wearing stained white jerkins and brown trousers. One man was tall and brawny, and his face had warts and scratches all over it, with a long scar over one eye. The other man was short and plump. His face was pasty white, with pimples all across his greasy forehead.

They threw ropes around Pluto's gleaming black body and bound him securely. Pluto tried to fight back, but it was too late. The tall man walked around Pluto, studying him.

"He's a good 'un," he grunted to the short man.

"How much do ya think he's worth, Ig?" Wug questioned anxiously. "He's worth 20 pounds at least," Ig answered. "Come on, let's git our horses. We need to git goin'." The two men walked away.

The fairies quickly changed shape into butterflies, and flew to Pluto's head. They landed nearby and became themselves again. Pluto stared at them in surprise. Rainbow Cloud explained, "We've been watching you Pluto, and we are going to try to help you." Just then, Ig and Wug returned, leading two worn and broken old horses. The horses looked at Pluto sadly as Ig and Wug mounted awkwardly. Then the men dragged Pluto away.

The fairies looked at each other and flew after the men. They traveled the rest of the day and entered a small town at dusk. Ig and Wug headed directly to the town's only inn, where they put the horses in the stable, not even bothering to unsaddle them. The fairies hesitated, not knowing what to do.

Then Rainbow Cloud spoke. "I'll follow Ig and Wug. You stay here with Pluto and the other two. I'll be back soon." Pea Blossom and Daisy Petal nodded in agreement.

Rainbow Cloud turned herself into a moth and flew inside the inn. She hovered around a lantern hanging from the ceiling and let her eyes adjust to the light. She spotted Ig and Wug at a back table with the ugliest man imaginable. His head and face were covered in warts, sores and boils. His clothes were so grimy, it was hard to tell them apart from his skin, which was just as filthy. She smelled his sweat and shuddered, but flew to the lamp closest to their table.

Ig grunted, "So, Swienstin, are you interested?" Rainbow Cloud's eyes widened. Swienstin was the most notorious horse trader anywhere. Suddenly she realized that those awful men were going to sell Pluto to Swienstin!

The three men got up and walked to the door. Rainbow Cloud quickly flew back to her friends in the stable, just as the men tromped in and headed directly to Pluto's stall. Swienstin lifted Pluto's upper lip and examined his teeth. When Pluto tried to shake his head free, Swienstin slapped him hard on the neck. After he finished examining Pluto, he began to haggle with Ig and Wug about the price, but the fairies were not listening. They were trying to come up with a way to rescue Pluto. The men went back into the inn, and the fairies were about to go talk to Pluto when the innkeeper, Harold, came in. He had a big pan of hot bran mash, which he shared with Pluto and the two others. Harold stroked them gently as they ate. Then he slipped away as quietly as he had come.

Here was their chance. All three men would probably get drunk, which would give them enough time to get away. The fairies magically melted the ropes off of Pluto's body, and melted the saddles and bridles off of the old horses the men rode. Then they led the horses out of the stable and down the road towards the forest. They traveled until dawn, and then the fairies showed the horses a small clearing where they could rest.

Around noon, they saw a dust cloud in the distance. Through the dust, they saw Ig, Wug, and Swienstin galloping down the road toward them.

Pea Blossom cried, "Pluto! Run!" The horses fled into the forest. Swienstin outdistanced Ig and Wug and thundered after Pluto. Rainbow Cloud asked an old oak tree to fall in front of him, and the tree obliged her. Swienstin's horse refused to jump it, and threw him. So there Swienstin sat, with both a bruised booty and a bruised pride.

Pluto found himself galloping through his herd's own meadow. His herd ran to meet him, and there he stayed, recovering, for two days.

The fairies went to Fairy Queen Periwinkle, and asked her if she could grant Pluto's wish to fly. Periwinkle, Pea Blossom, Daisy Petal, and Rainbow Cloud came to see him. Periwinkle stated, "Pluto, I have heard about your wish to fly. Therefore, I will make you the first winged horse ever." She touched her scepter to Pluto's shoulders. Two wings began growing, until Pluto had a pair of magnificent silver wings. "Try them out!" Pea Blossom exclaimed. Pluto leaped into the air and soared over the meadow. He could fly at last!!!

When he died, the fairies made him the constellation Pegasus, and if you look up at night, you can see him there today, shining down on you.


End file.
